Harry Potter and the Seers' Truth
By Lady Lestrange
Pervigilo Armaro!
Chapter 42
10 REVIEWS. Here's the new chapter—I really hate blackmailing you into reviewing, but hey, I'm a Slytherin. It's in my nature, so when there are 10 reviews for this chapter, the next one will magically appear. Love my readers and reviewers. Answers to reviews follow the story.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters and previous situations belong to JK Rowlings. No infringement is meant or implied. No money is made from this Fanfic. THANKS JK.
--LADY LESTRANGE
***
(A/N: I've been reading a number of fanfics in installments like this one myself, and find it is sometimes hard to remember exactly what has happened before-In a fic as complex as this one is, I thought having a reminder may be helpful for you. If you want to skip it, just page down FIVE times. --Lady Lestrange)
UP TO THIS POINT: Parvati has been having dreams and visions about the Dark Lord, Harry and a Prophecy Child. So far, they are not sure who the prophecy child is, and it is important for them to find him/her. The Sorting Hat is not sorting, so the students have "little brothers and sisters" to show around. The dream team thinks that The Sorting Hat failing is a plot to hide the Prophecy child from the teachers and anyone who can help insure that he/she stays on the side of light. No one is sure that the brothers and sisters actually belong to the house they are currently in.
The Hogwarts Express has been attacked. Dark Marks have been in the sky. The floo network is compromised. The Minister of Magic has been turned. Snape is now teaching both Defense and Advanced Defense, but it looks like Advanced Defense is just an excuse to let the Slytherins and Ginny and Edward visit the Dark Lord. Mrs. Figg is teaching potions and we know very little about her so far, except that she was against Dumbledore's suggestion to make Poly Juice Potion.
Beatrice is an animagus, a bunny. Edward's granny looks like she could have given the Dursleys a few pointers on cruelty. Slytherin is a house at war according to Snape, divided between Death Eaters and those who want to stay on the side of light. Harry uses his Invisibility Cloak and finds out when it is ripped, the Invisibility spell ceases. There is an unwelcome addition to Myrtle's bathroom, Olive Hornby. Peeves is his usual annoying self, but the Baron seems to have a little less control over him.
Samara, for some reason, lofts some wicked, powerful curses. She doesn't look like she has total control over them, which isn't really surprising since she's learned magic on her own from a book, that Harry is sure is a dark book. She seems to like Draco, but don't assume this is a romance. It is not. Ginny is still hearing voices in her head. Harry's scar is hurting more, and neither he nor Ginny know what this means. Ginny is closer with Harry this year, but again, not romantically. There is Edward, the new Gryffindor, who seems interested in Ginny, but Ginny really hasn't gotten over Tom.
We find out about Neville's powerful auror parents. We learn that Neville has a memory charm that was put on him as a baby. He's a more powerful wizard than anyone ever thought as evidenced by his yew wand and the way he reacts to Snape's ministrations in trying to remove the memory charm. We might wonder why Snape is trying to do this himself, instead of enlisting the help of Madam Pomfrey. Sirius and Lupin are on "fieldtrips" with the sixth and seventh years.
Of course we can also wonder why Snape is so determined to teach his classes advanced spells like the Patronus, or we can just chalk it up to Snape, being mean. The Fifth year class starts apparition classes and we meet Professor Sinistra. We also visit Hufflepuff, where we see The Wall, and Slytherin house, where we discover, to our amazement, a magic room that Draco shares with Samara, but Samara has a very unslytherin use for the room. Ravenclaw to come next weekend.
The chapter, CHAINED AND CHARMED, takes place at the same time as DANCING IS AN OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCE-when Samara was in Slytherin, dancing. It is Saturday afternoon. Harry and the Gryffindors examine Samara's Dark Book, after they come back from lunch. They find an extreme potion, and decide they need to make a trip to the Chamber of Secrets. Ghastly Ghostly Dinner is when Gryffindor's meet with Samara after her little trip to Slytherin. Samara and Beatrice are persuaded by Edward to help him steal his snake back from his brother Ethan. Things get a little out of hand, and Samara learns more about Slytherin than she ever wanted to know.
Now the Gryffindors are mad at her. Samara wants to make up and be friends with them, but is it possible to befriend both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy? How far will she go to make up, or will she just find some valuable information to store away for future use? (So, don't you want one of those Tee shirts?)
LIONS AND TIGERS: We see a very stressed out Snap both in Harry's memory of what happened with Snap and Neville and in the actual DADA class. We find out Trelawney doesn't want Samara in her class and Samara decides to take Ancient Runes instead. McGonagall assures Samara that Trelawney has done her a favor. McGonagall further talks to Samara about her experiences in Gryffindor, opening the door to give Samara someone to talk to, if she so chooses. We also learned lots more about animagi in McGonagall's class. Snape dismisses the Gryffifndors and keeps the Slytherins after class. We find out it's because Snape wants them to practice their patronus because the Slytherins are so lousy at the spell. Could it be because there are so few happy memories to chose from?
In DRAGON BREATH AND BLUDGER BATS, Ginny and Edward set the Slytherins up with fire mints, and Samara gets extremely angry at them both because they hurt her friends. In an effort to contain her anger, she goes to the Quiddich pitch where she meets Fred and George. After lobbing a few quaffles at them in her anger, they decide to ask her to be a Beater for Gryffindor. She refuses, but later when she talks to Draco, he is not very nice to her, (hey, who said Draco was a nice guy?) so she wonders whether or not she should take the Beater job.
In WISH IT REAL; WISH IT NOT we see into one of Ginny's dreams. If you don't remember this dream, go and re-read chapter 28. In Chapter 29, THE SPELLING BEE, Samara is feeling homesick and friendless until Draco invites Samara back to Slytherin. Also, includes a short intro into what's coming up in potions class.
In Chapter 30, CHILD OF GRYFFINDOR, Neville and Snape break the Imperio part of the Memory Charm. The trio discusses the Founders' spells, which put their gifts in the Sorting Hat; however they do not have the original parseltongue version of Salazar's spell. Ginny also sees Edward painting and the reader sees a bit of Ginny and Tom's relationship. In SLYTHERIN GAMES—Well, if you don't remember it, you better re-read. Voldemort is finally out and angry—burning and pillaging and we see a little-known inside version of Slytherin through Ginny's eyes. In STICKY SITUATIONS, Samara uses her adhere charm on the Weasley twins, Neville sticks Beatrice's wand to his with bubble gum, and Edward is sticking in Gryffindor.
In OW POST the Slytherins get even for the Dragon Breath Mints, among other things—
In the Ravenclaw chapter—I'm still trying to think of a good name for it—Help me please—we meet a number of Ravenclaws and find out a little more about the characters, in Ravenclaw as well as Edward and Samara. So do you think either of them are really Ravenclaws? Hmmmm? In chapter 35 we meet Sirius again who plans to have a talk with Dumbledore about his keeping Harry safe and of course what that nasty Snape is doing to poor Neville. The Quiddich Game and then more of Neville's awesome Auror parents.
The war is heating up and touching the lives of the children. This story is rapidly approaching –nasty things. Not for the faint of heart. Last chapter, we had a relaxing time at Hogsmeade. Samara bounces from friend to friend and Harry has some nasty dreams, and Harry is shocked to find out that Ron and Hermione are a couple. We knew that already though, right?
In THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS the trio did some exploring, but failed to find the basilisk eggs. They found other things though. Obviously, they have to go back, but first Ginny gives them some instructions.
In THE CHAMBER, THE WALL, THE WAND AND THE WINDOW, Ginny gives the trio some instructions about the Chamber, the Gryffindor boys are having trouble sleeping and Harry's talking to the Snake, Kauket. Parvati has yet another vision, about a muggle and the earlier one about the wand is explored. Trelawney tells Ginny she will open a window to the past—Didn't she already do that? Is Trelawney a little late with this prediction, or does it mean something else? In NO MORE GAMES we return to ADADA class and Ginny finds out by using the Quick Quotes Quill that the class is more than she planned, but the notes are stolen, so she has no proof to go to Dumbledore with--Be warned, the upcoming chapters are the reason this fic is rated PG-13.
Pervigilo Armaro!
Chapter 42
Fred and George were passing out free candy in the Gryffindor Common Room. "It's a great deal," said Fred. "Buy one, get two free."
"Next week they are going back to their original price. You'll want to get them now before the other houses get theirs." Said George.
"And it will give you something to do during the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw game," said Fred.
"They look suspiciously like Canary Creams," said Harry as he examined them.
"Go ahead, you can have one free," said George. "After all, you've been a great help to us, so help yourself, Harry."
Ron reached for one, and George slapped his hand.
"You on the other hand, little brother, have to pay for yours." Said Fred.
"That's not fair. I'm family."
"And I've been your friend longer than Harry," said Angelina. "I should get one free too."
"What do you mean?" said Fred. "We have to sell these to our friends."
"Yeah, our enemies aren't buying any," said George.
"Actually, Harry paid in advance," said Fred, winking at Harry.
"You did?" said Ron. "When."
Harry shrugged and popped the candy into his mouth. He immediately turned into a fluffy black puppy. He yapped twice at Ron and then rolled on the floor leaving fur on the carpet. About that time, a group of Seventh year girls came into the common room and began petting him and cooing—"Whose puppy?"
"No one's exactly," said Hermione, while the Weasley twins howled with laughter.
Within a few minutes, the 'puppy' began shedding profusely, turning back into Harry Potter.
"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed one of the girls, covering her face in embarrassment, as the transformation took place.
"Puppy Puffs," said Harry laughing as he picked himself up off of the floor.
"Oh, you were so cute, Harry," cooed Hermione.
The twins had an immediate clientele. Boys and girls alike queuing up to buy the Puppy Puffs.
Beatrice shivered. "I don't like dogs," she said.
"They're just puppies," said Hermione, "not big dogs."
"You just keep reminding me not to turn into a bunny, or I might spend all of this week running from those flea carriers."
"Hey Edward," called Ginny.
Edward looked up from the schoolwork that he had spread out in front of him on the table.
"Give it a break, Edward. Come and watch the game with us," said Samara.
"I have to go to the library," said Edward. "I have a lot of work to do, and it's going to rain anyway."
"Come on," Ginny coaxed, closing his books. "Even Hermione's coming—"
"No. I really can't." he said crossly, taking his book back from her.
"Fine," snapped Ginny. "Go to the library." She turned to walk out of the Gryffindor Common Room, Samara, Beatrice and the trio in her wake.
"Well, it's not like he'll be missing much," said Ron. "Hufflepuff usually gets slaughtered. If they were playing Slytherin we might get to see someone pushed off of their brooms, but Ravenclaw—"
"Ron!" said Hermione horrified.
"I don't know," said Samara. "I've been working with Sally Anne and the Air Elemental. She's a good flier. She may surprise Cho and catch the snitch first."
"Samara!" said Ginny. "That Air Elemental stuff you've been talking about is Gryffindor's secret. You aren't supposed to tell it to the Hufflepuffs."
"Oh, don't worry about it, Ginny," said Harry. "Hufflepuff isn't going to beat us. If Sally Anne beats Cho to the snitch, it will just be because of the element of surprise."
"Anyone have a preference of where we sit?" asked Samara heading toward a primarily Hufflepuff section."
The boys shrugged and Hermione said, "I don't care."
The group found seats together and settled down to watch the match.
Someone several seats away from them turned into a puppy and scampered over them to one of the Hufflepuffs behind them. "Oh! How cute!" the girl gushed until the puppy turned into a boy and the bevy of giggling girls behind them drowned out the announcement that the game was beginning.
True to Ron's prediction. Ravenclaw immediately was in the lead by ten points when Ming Chang scored. About half an hour later, Ravenclaw scored again, making the score twenty to nothing.
Several more puppies crawled over them, under them and around them, making Beatrice extremely nervous. The Hufflepuff's behind them seemed to be much more interested in the puppies than the game. Cooing and giggling over the puppies until an entire group of boys had joined them and they were all talking and joking excitedly.
"I think I'm going to go back to the room," said Beatrice nervously eyeing the crowd of children and puppies..
"Oh, stay," Samara begged. "They aren't going to hurt you. Just don't turn into a bunny."
Amidst the giggling and laughing, Ginny heard the voice, calling in her mind. "Come to me."
She froze, terrified—it was just a Memory—wasn't it?
Images of the Chamber assaulted her.
"Tom?" thought Ginny, but Tom didn't answer. She hated when he decided to be secretive.
Ginny tried to put her attention back on the game. This voice was her imagination, replaying the past. Even though she seemed to be able to talk to Tom, yesterday; today, he had disappeared again. It had to be her imagination, didn't it?
"I didn't put up these walls, Ginny Love. That was those learned medi-witches at St. Mongo's. If you could remember what really happened in the Chamber--"
"Tom?"
"Who else?"
"Sarcasm isn't helping, Tom. Are you talking to me, or is this a memory?"
Ron looked at her puzzled. "Ginny?"
"It's nothing," said Ginny.
"I'm nothing, now, am I?" spat Tom.
"Quit it, Tom. You're confusing me."
"Doesn't take much, does it, Ginny?"
"Come to me, Virginia."
Ginny shivered.
Twice, Madam Hooch had to restart the Quaffle when it was dropped by the Hufflepuff chasers and no Ravenclaw players were close enough to pick it off. The only excitement happened when one of the Hufflepuff beaters whacked the bludger into the stands and it hit one of the Slytherin spectators. Laughing and cheering Ron said, "I don't think their beaters ever hit a Slytherin before—"
"Too bad it wasn't during a game," Harry laughed. "I mean—a player—during a game—You know what I mean--" He slapped Ron on the back in comradery.
The booing and jeering coming from the handful of Slytherin's in the stands, seemed to throw the Hufflepuff's off of their game even more. Their keeper missed two easy saves making the score forty to nothing.
"If this game doesn't pick up," said Harry with a yawn, "I'm going to fall asleep."
"That's not because of the boring game," said Ron, "That's because we can't sleep in our room at night." Lacing his arms around Hermione, who already looked like she was asleep, Ron leaned against the side of the seat and closed his eyes. He immediately opened them again. "Did I feel a rain drop?" he asked.
"I think so," said Hermione proving that she wasn't asleep after all.
"Definitely," agreed Beatrice.
"Beatrice," admonished Samara. "We have friends who are Hufflepuffs. We should stay and show our support, but Beatrice was gathering her cloak around her, shivering, as the drizzling rain increased. Ron and Hermione were already half way out of the stands, their arms wrapped around each other.
"I don't like being wet and cold and surrounded by dogs," Beatrice said pulling her hood up. "I'm going in."
The little Slytherin section had already cleared out and even many of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were leaving. Glancing around, Ginny saw only a few other Gryffindors—her twin brothers—peddling their Puppy Puffs—Neville, Lou and Joe and a handful of others. More and more seats were emptying out, the combination of the chilly drizzling rain and the boring game causing them to leave.
"I'm staying," said Samara stubbornly. "Impervious!" she pronounced the spell to keep water off of her cloak. "When you have friends who are playing you should have a little loyalty to them, don't you think, Ginny?
"I guess," said Ginny.
"Come to me, Virginia."
Ginny stood and looked after Ron, Hermione and Beatrice, just as Ming lobbed another quaffle through the hoop.
"You said you were staying," complained Samara. "Sit down, Ginny. The people behind you can't see."
"I don't think they're watching anyway," commented Harry, glancing back at the little group of Hufflepuffs, now happily paired off and not a dog among them. "You know, Samara, you're right about Sally Anne. She's flying a lot better than she used to—"
"I told you," said Samara, and she launched into another explanation about the Air Elemental. Ginny tuned her out, listening to the voice within her. It was touching some deep cord within her, drawing her to the Chamber. She needed to be there. He was calling her. She stood again, and this time Samara couldn't get her to sit back down.
"I have to go," she insisted.
"We might as well go too," said Harry standing. "There's no way, Hufflepuff is going to pull this out, Samara. Ravenclaw just scored again."
"What's the score?" asked Samara.
"Sixty to nothing," said Harry.
With a sigh, Samara stood and she and Harry hurried to catch up with Ginny.
Once they got into the castle, Samara stopped, confused. "Where's Ginny going?" she wondered aloud.
She and Harry looked at each other, puzzled. Ginny was not heading toward Gryffindor Tower or the dorm. She walked across the antechamber and up the stairs to the second floor. She was muttering to herself..
"Let's go," said Harry, pulling his wand and sprinting after her.
"Tom! Tom!" Ginny whispered. "Please talk to me. Tom, tell me what happened that day when you were sorted. I need to know if this was you, or was Salazar really there? Tom! Answer me!"
But Tom didn't answer. The other voice spoke, calling her--demanding that she come. That wasn't Tom, was it?
"Come to me, Virginia."
"There really was a Dark Wizard, wasn't there, Tom?"
"Oh, Ginny Love."
"What happened, Tom? What happened when they put the Sorting Hat on your head? Tell me. Please, tell me."
"Where are you?"
"I don't know—How did I get here? Tom! I'm outside of Myrtle's bathroom! I don't know how I got here!"
"Go back to your room. Put up the privacy shield and then I'll tell you-as much as the St. Mongo's medi-wizards let us remember."
"Her aura," said Samara. "It's wrong—swirling—"
"Ginny!" Harry put his wand in his pocket, grasped her by her shoulders and shook her. "Ginny! What are you doing?"
A sob caught in her throat and Harry pulled her close, wrapping his arms and his aura around her.
"That's it Harry," said Samara as she watched him shift his aura into healing green. She hesitated a moment, hand outstretched to help, but Ginny's aura began to settle into her normal blue, and Harry's—Harry's began to fade from green to rose—making Samara feel uncertain of what to do.
"Ah, Ginny Love, just where you've always wanted to be. In Harry Potter's arms."
"Go away, Tom."
"Just when I thought you wanted to talk to me and now you want me to go away. Fickle women. Just between you and me, Ginny Love, it shouldn't take much. He's already pretty hot and bothered."
Ginny felt a hot blush cover her, and she tried to shift away from Harry.
Tom was terribly amused by the predicament. Ginny tried to ignore him.
Samara backed away, but the corridor was a dead end—a dark and macabre dead end—where letters of a message still shone faintly after repeated scrubbings that had worn the stone away. The message, in three lines, one under the other, read:
The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.
Enemies of the Heir Beware.
Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.
==
When they got back to the Gryffindor Common Room, it looked like a party was going on. Fred and George had passed out Puppy Puffs to many of the people and pandemonium ruled.
"Isn't it great," said Fred, exclaiming over the number of couples that had found their way together at the Quiddich game.
"I think Puppy Puffs will be our best seller ever," said George.
"The game's over then?" asked Samara. "Ravenclaw won?"
"No." said George. "Hufflepuff. Their little seeker caught the snitch. The score was 150 to 70."
"I have to go over to Hufflepuff," said Samara. "Hey Beatrice, are you coming with me?"
"Sure, as long as you're not going to Slytherin," said Beatrice.
==
Puppy puffs were still the prime topic of conversation as the week wore on. By Thursday, more couples could be attributed to Puppy Puffs than to Lockhart's Valentines. Of course more homework and detentions seemed to be attributed to them too.
Filch wanted Dumbledore to abolish them, because several puppies had thought it was funny to make a mess for him to clean up, and then top off the event by chasing Mrs. Norris.
McGonagall was continually complaining about dog hairs on the furniture in Gryffindor Tower, and Snape, who was cleaning his shoes when they came into defense class on Thursday, was in a towering rage.
"If I see one puppy," he said between gritted teeth. "I promise you, I will strangle it. I don't care if it's a student or not. Do I make myself clear?"
"The Gryffindors nodded, whispering, "Yes," in very subdued tones.
Professors Sprout, Flitwick and Dumbledore seemed to like the whole idea of Puppy Puffs and said they promoted inter-house relationships. Well they did do that.
==
"Hey Edward," called Ginny. "Why don't you take some Puppy Puffs over to Slytherin."
"I'm working," he said, irritably crumpling the parchment he was working on, and flinging it into the air. "Incendio!" he said.
"Yeah," said Ron. "Last chance to see any of that group as cute and cuddly."
Harry and Hermione burst out laughing,
Ginny bought one, popped it into her mouth and romped over to where Edward was working, just as he tossed another parchment into the air and incendioed it.
"Damn it, Ginny, Be careful," said Edward, as he snatched her out of the way of the spell, and onto his lap. The little rusty ball of fur began copiously licking his face. "Oh—" he exclaimed pushing the excited puppy away.
"Don't worry about it, Edward," teased Ron, laughing hysterically. "I'll bet she's gotten a little spit on you before—"
Hermione blushed, and covered Ron's mouth with her hand. "Don't you say another word," she warned.
"Not a word. Homework."
"Do you want to start with Charms or Defense?" Ron asked, a huge grin on his face.
"What are you working on, Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Defense," he said.
Ginny had turned back into a girl and was sitting on Edward's lap, obviously keeping him from doing whatever work he had in mind. "What are you doing, anyway, Edward?" asked Ginny.
"Writing—" he said softly. "Something--Forget it. Incendio!" He hugged Ginny to him for a moment and then asked if she had any more homework to do."
"No," she said. "All done except for practicing Advanced Defense, and perhaps reviewing my charms for our test tomorrow. I need you to help me with ADADA though. If we have to play Search and Curse without wands, I'm sunk."
"All right," said Edward. "I still have transfiguration, but it isn't due until next week. I guess we can work on Advanced Defense. Do you want to go over to Slytherin and work with Pansy and Lauren too?"
"Maybe," said Ginny.
==
Once they were in Slytherin common room, Ginny told Pansy Lauren and Edward that the only spell she had done was wingardium leviosa with Snape. "Snape told me not to do any spells without supervision."
"So, we're supervising," said Lauren.
"Do something you're good at. Something that you can do without thinking too hard about it," suggested Pansy. "That way you can keep your attention on the Elemental."
"OK," said Ginny thoughtfully.
"How about a ward?" suggested Edward. "You did pretty well with that the other night in Ethan's room."
"I could do that," said Ginny, clearing her companions off of the sofa. "Now, since I'm not using a wand, what about the swishes and flicks," asked Ginny.
"Intent," Lauren reminded her. "Do the wingardium leviosa first," she suggested, tossing a piece of parchment to Ginny.
Ginny raised her hand smoothly as she said "wingardium leviosa," and then just held her hand still, where she wanted the parchment to be.
She let the parchment sink to the floor.
"I'm ready," she said, sitting crossed legged in the middle of the sofa, she began to imagine the lines she would draw with her wand: the diamond of protection. She drew the baseline of the diamond with her fingertips, holding the Intent of asking for protection from dangers outside of the ward. Lauren was saying something to her, but she didn't want to listen; she was trying to concentrate on the spell.
She knew what she was doing. She began with the Northern corner Arcti Amara. Almost immediately, she felt the buzzing like bees in her ears. She proceeded to the East and thought of the morning. Eurues Armara. The buzzing increased. Then to the South, and mid-day, Meridies Armara, She hesitated a moment, shivering as if all of the hairs on her body where standing on end. She felt uncertain. The magic was scaring her a little, pulsing and strong, but she wanted to finish this spell. The Slytherins would laugh at her if she stopped because she was scared. She could imagine them saying—some brave Gryffindor you are, Weasel! So she continued: to protect in the west and the evening, Vespertinus Armara, Again, she hesitated, feeling the awesome power of the Elemental at her command. Finish it! Urged Tom, and she drew the last lines with her fingers and held the Intent: through the dark night to provide protection to me, and spoke the last words: Pervigilo Armaro"
The spell, burst from her, filling her body with the riotous sounds of bees and the sparkles of magic broke open spilling upon her and the ward. She shuddered with the impact, and instantly had a headache. Release! Release! She told herself. She was probably suffering the magical backlash of not releasing the excess magic fast enough. She shoved the magic from herself hard and fast. The headache didn't go away. If it was just the magic, it should have, shouldn't it? But what else could that explosion of buzzing bees inside of her be? Surely it was just the magic that she did not release.
"Well, Bravo, Ginny Love. You finally did it without me."
"Tom?"
"Now, who else would be talking in your head, Ginny Love?
"I did this ward without your help, Tom? Wandlessly?"
"Oh don't crow, Ginny Love. I used to do it in the orphanage. It's about time you got it. Now, the question is will you remember it. Really, you should do something about those memory lapses. Bothers me, Ginny Love. Doesn't it bother you? Not that you'd bother to answer, would you, you miserable little Gyffindor Bitch. I'm past my three sentence quota—"
"Three sentences—"
"You heard that?" said Tom surprised.
"And don't call me a bitch."
"OK, puppy. Don't lick Edward's face anymore. That was positively disgusting, and in the common room—in front of your precious Harry Potter. Have you no shame, woman? I told you before to quit acting like a hussy. Why didn't you listen to me then? It's not like I've never told you—"
"Told me what?"
"You are entirely too forward. A lady doesn't act like that—"
Ginny burst into laughter.
"And what is so funny?"
"What?" asked Tom.
"Ginny, stop it.
"Ginny, Love?"
"Ginny?"
"AH, this Sucks, she can't hear me again."
"I hear you," said Ginny. She also heard a knock on the outside of the ward. She ignored it.
"You do?" Tom's attitude was one of elation. "I was wondering when you were going to get those memory blocks down. I thought I was going to have to contend with them forever. Now, let's see—first—
Ginny felt a sudden tingling all over her body.
Ah-h-OW! Tom! What did you just do?
Nothing.
Don't tell me 'nothing.' I know you did something.
"Just checking out the division of power, now that the memory blocks are gone."
Several more knocks from the outside broke over the ward, louder than before.
"What spell broke the memory charms?" asked Tom.
"I was doing a ward. The one I used to do around my bed all the time You remember."
"With agony," said Tom. "Gawd, you took forever to learn that spell."
"I was eleven," said Ginny.
"So how old are you now?"
"Fourteen."
"Three years and you've finally broken the memory charms, I guess I should be grateful, If Lucius had given the diary to someone as dumb as Crabbe or Goyle, I would have never gotten out."
"Out?"
"Well I guess I can't really call it out, but a little more freedom than I've had for a while. So why all of the sudden, does this ward break the medi-witches' spell?
Ginny hesitated—He said, I would have never gotten out? What did he mean—out?
When she didn't answer, he asked again. "What was different?"
Still she hesitated.
"Ginny Love, do I sense, fear? You can't possibly still be afraid of me after all this time—And here, I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave--"
I pulled from the Elementals," Said Ginny.
"Ah, well, that explains it."
"Are you Tom—or are you Salazar?" asked Ginny softly
"What!?" Magic crackled within the ward.
==
"Give her a minute," said Lauren, after the second time she and Edward had knocked. "She'll break the ward herself. She's just playing with us."
"She's a Gryffindor," said Edward dryly. "She wouldn't do that. She's hurt."
"This was really stupid," said Pansy. "Snape's going to kill us—to say nothing of McGonagall and Dumbledore."
"Shut up, Pansy," snapped Edward.
"Well who realized she was going to do the ward around herself," spat Lauren. "What a moron! How could we supervise?"
"I thought she'd do it around the sofa," said Pansy.
"She's conscious," said Edward staring at Ginny as she shivered and grimaced in pain."
"Can you reach her?" asked Lauren, putting a hand on Edward's arm. Edward shook his head. "I think you're right though, Lauren, she can't reopen it. She had to have heard our knock. Let's try it together."
The combined magic of Edward and Lauren rattled the ward but did not open it.
She would have heard that," said Lauren
What would she be doing in there?" wondered Pansy.
Did she give any sign that she heard us?" asked Lauren.
"No." said Edward with a sigh. "Pansy, you try with us."
"No! I mean, I'd rather not. I--"
"It's her telepathic gift," said Lauren. "Pansy's very particular who she shares magic with—"
"Well, our magics aren't complementary enough to break it, Lauren" said Edward. "I'm going to go get Ethan."
"No!" said Pansy and Lauren together.
"We need help," said Edward "I told you she could do a phenomenal ward."
"Draco," said Lauren.
"I think he's in the kitchen," said Pansy hesitantly.
A moment later a house elf appeared. "Master Draco said to come here and speak to Miss Pansy," said the house elf. "Do you need help?"
"Hi, Tully, I need Draco's help," said Pansy explaining to the house elf that Ginny was stuck in a ward of her own making and they couldn't get her out.
The house elf nodded and disapparated.
"You amaze me," said Edward. "You're getting really good at the telepathy."
"It wasn't the exactly telepathy," said Pansy. "I can't do it with everyone. It's shared magic—since Draco and I--Lauren can do it with Alvin to a degree—"
"Not like you Pansy," interrupted Lauren.
"You and Ethan can do it." Pansy told Edward. "I've seen you—"
"We're twins. Name me a set of twins that can't communicate with each other—"
I'd imagine you and Ginny—"
"No," said Edward tightly.
Pansy shrugged. "That would be helpful right now. What if Snape decides to visit the common room?"
"Then we're in trouble," said Edward. "It's not like it's the first time."
The door of the Slytherin Common Room dissolved allowing an entrance, and they all froze. Draco strode in. "What's the matter Pansy," he drawled, "your playmates get out of control?"
"We were practicing elemental magic," said Lauren. "This is the first major elemental spell that Ginny has done—"
"She seems to have warded herself in," said Edward.
Draco stood examining the ward. "Well, she must have done a good job, if you can't get it down," laughed Draco. "Why don't you just wait until she comes out. She's probably having a good laugh."
"No," said Edward. "She wouldn't do that, and I'm pretty sure, she had at least a moment of pain."
"Oh, well, by all means, if the Gryffindor had a moment of pain, we'd better get her out," drawled Draco.
"Snape told her not to do any spells," said Pansy. "We—um--convinced her."
"We told her we could supervise," said Lauren.
"Oh. That's different," said Draco, pulling his wand. "Let's do this with wands," said Draco. "We'll have a little more control and Pansy can join us." His eyes were on Edward as he spoke.
"You're mixing me up with my brother," said Edward. "I have no trouble with control."
"Four people will make it easier to break anyway," said Draco touching the outside of the ward and frowning. "It is a four point ward, isn't it?"
"Eight," corrected Blaise.
"Tell me that four of the points aren't the Elementals," said Draco pulling his hand away and lowering his wand.
"No," said Edward. "I heard her do this spell. It's direction and times of day."
"Good," said Draco with a sigh of relief. " We can each take a direction. Any preferences?"
"South?" asked Pansy.
Draco nodded.
"Doesn't matter," said Lauren, pushing back her long hair.
"Then let's you and I take opposite sides of the diamond," Draco said to Lauren, since our magics are the most complementary. "The night stars and the North for you and evening and the West for me. That leaves you the East, Edward, OK?"
"Sure." Edward took out his wand. "Are we using break or shatter?"
"Shatter," suggested Lauren, "since none of us could do it alone."
"On three, then," said Draco. "We'll say the spell simultaneously. One, two, three—"
"Arcti Amara Adflictum est," said Lauren.
"Eurues Armara. Adflictum est," said Edward.
"Meridies Armara Adflictum est," said Pansy.
"Vespertinus Armara Adflictum est," said Draco.
==
Suddenly, the ward shattered around Ginny. The magic poured back into her, momentarily stunning her with its impact. She blinked awake, her head pounding. A girl was leaning over her. A sheet of white blonde hair like silk brushed her face.
"Carman?" whispered Ginny.
The girl reacted like she was struck, pulling abruptly away.
"Draco, is she ok," asked Pansy.
"More than ok," said Edward smirking
"My head hurts," muttered Ginny.
"Well, no shit, Ginny Love, you've just released all of my memories into your mind, if I'm not mistaken—"
"That might be from the magical backlash, when we broke the ward," said the girl with the long blonde hair—not Carmen—Lauren, Ginny realized.
"Sorry Ginny," said Edward. "We weren't sure if you were ok.
"When you didn't break it from the inside, we thought maybe you couldn't," said Pansy. "And then neither Edward nor Lauren could break the ward alone, so we decided we should do it together.
"What they mean to say, Weasel," drawled Draco, "is that they were worried Snape was going to find you trapped, and decide that some Slytherins needed punished. Since no one could break it alone, they had to call me for help. By the way, nice ward, I'd appreciate the binding word."
"Pervigilo," replied Ginny immediately.
"Ginny!" shouted Tom. "Never, never, never tell the words to your wards. Eventually you'll run out of good combinations, and then the only thing that keeps them from breaking is Intention. Let them work for them on their own. They'll appreciate them more, anyway."
"What am I? the teacher? I don't care," said Ginny aloud, striding toward the door with a whole new gait.
Ginny?" said Edward confused.
"Come on—" Ginny searched through the myriad of memories for a name—"Edward. I'm starved." She turned and headed out of the common room, Edward following.
Behind them, Lauren, Draco and Pansy, just stared.
"Did she call you Carman?" Draco whispered.
"Yeah. How could she—"began Lauren.
"Remember that Diary we used to play with when we were kids?" interrupted Draco.
==
Ginny headed momentarily towards the Slytherin table. It was only when Edward took her elbow and steered her around it that she remembered she was sorted into Gryffindor.
"You'll get my memories and yours sorted out, Ginny Love. It took me a while too, but then I've had four years to get used to it."
Ginny sat at the end of the table, with only Edward beside her. She stared at her plate.
"Well, if you aren't interested in eating, Ginny Love," said Tom. "I'll make some choices. It's been too long since I made any choices. Strange, isn't it, that something as simple as picking your own food becomes important after four years—well fifty-four years—actually, of being denied simple pleasures such as picking your own food—now if only this new development would allow me to taste it--"
"Ginny!" Samara exclaimed sitting across from her. "You look like the living death. What happened to you?"
"She set a ward using Elemental magic and couldn't get out. We had to break it," said Edward.
"I didn't need help," said Ginny. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine," spat Samara. "Your aura is about six shades of blue with about four shades of yellow stirred in—not in layers--and a red haze is over it all—I know you didn't have any childhood trauma before, so what the hell is that red haze for—Oh and I forgot, there's the shimmering from elemental magic, but I've never seen anything like this—it looks like you have a double dose of sparkles."
"I like sparkles," said Ginny. "Pass the potatoes." Ginny filled her plate, and to everyone around her, it looked like she was focused on her food. Samara was still talking animatedly about her aura, and Tom was marveling at all the changes at Hogwarts. He wanted to know who all the teachers were, and when they got these new tables which allowed the boys and girls to eat together. I don't have the vaguest notion, Ginny thought. Furthermore, I don't care.
She had at last, managed to get Tom to settle down. "Who is Carman?" she asked. Immediately, she felt a little flutter of energy, but it was gone almost as soon as she felt it, and Tom was telling her what she wanted to know.
Carman---. Memories flashed. He was eleven. Playing chess. Letting her copy his homework. He was twelve, and Carman—
Ginny sucked in her breath, and her numb fingers dropped her fork. Samara reached for her, but Ginny shrugged her off, seeking the memories.
When he was fourteen, Carman refusing to dance with him, because of his mixed parentage.
As long as Tom was showing her these memories Ginny didn't want to interrupt him.
He was talking to Carman about the Chamber and abruptly the memory changed. They were running—caught in the rain—at the Quiddich pitch. Then kissing, his tongue in her mouth, magic surrounded them..
Ginny was revolted, thinking she would never be able to look Lauren Avery in the face again without seeing this—feeling this—
Tom laughed. Yes, well at least I wasn't a puppy dog, he said, and if it makes you feel any better, she slapped me.
But she was definitely—participating—said Ginny—suddenly feeling angry for Tom.
It was many years ago," he said. "I'm sure the man I became did more than slap her."
Ginny shivered. "She does look like Lauren," she said. "I can see why—I called her Carman."
She's Lauren's grandmother, said Tom. "And—"
"Grandmother," repeated Ginny, once again realizing the generations difference between her and Tom.
==
"Ginny," Samara shouted in her ear. "We should go up to the dorm."
"You don't have to shout," said Ginny haughtily. "I heard you."
Ginny looked around. The Great Hall was almost deserted. Only Edward and Samara were still with her at the Gryffindor table. Although Samara and Edward were both still talking to her when they reached the Gryffindor Common Room, Ginny just couldn't seem to take in any more today. "I'm really tired," she said as she walked straight through the Common Room without pausing. "I think I'll get comfortable and study a little in my room."
But when Ginny reached her room, she didn't study. She pulled her wand, and then put it away. With meticulous care, she set the ward around her bed—the same one she had done in Slytherin Common Room.
"See," she told Tom. "I remembered."
"I'm proud of you, Ginny Love, but you should be able to do it with a single word, and it should have twelve points instead of eight. You didn't use the Four Elementals as compass points.."
"What?"
"It's not important right now. There are many things you need to learn," said Tom.
"No, Tom," said Ginny. "There are things that you need to learn. It's about the Sorting Hat—"
"And Salazar's gift," spat Tom sarcastically.
"You knew?" said Ginny.
"Well, of course, I knew, Ginny Love," said Tom. "Not right away, but by the time I was sixteen—And then I had fifty years in the Diary with that miscreated demon to contemplate what to do about it. The problem was, Salazar didn't want to bring me with him. He wanted to leave me in the diary with you when he took over your body, but that was not a simple spell.
Harry Potter came into the Chamber before the spell was completed. He destroyed the diary, but just because he destroyed the book doesn't mean he destroyed us—me or Salazar. Harry Potter destroyed the object where we were contained, but without a spell to actually keep us in the book while he destroyed it, a wizard has some options, although ours were severely limited by the fact that we were in the Chamber whose wards allow 'nary a soul to pass to or from, without the word of parseltongue'.
I thought: I could stay in the book and die. I could possibly possess the basilisk which was also dying. I could attempt to enter the statue of Salazar and wait for the next heir of Slytherin to open the Chamber with parselmouth, but see, Salazar and I both knew I was the last heir of Slytherin. No one else was coming. Or I could trust the little girl who had promised to save me from the evil dark wizard. I could claim that promise. So that's what I did. What choice did I have, Ginny Love?
"Oh—" whispered Ginny. The single word filled with fear and foreboding.
"Of course, when you said you would free me from the Diary this is not exactly what I had in mind."
Ginny laughed aloud in spite of her fear.
"I tried to tell you—to explain—afterwards--but I think it was too soon."
"I had nightmares," said Ginny thoughtfully. "And Mum and Dad took me to St. Mongos."
"Yes. I knew what was happening there, but I didn't know how to stop it. I was being imprisoned all over again. I think that was my darkest hour."
"So where did the memory of Salazar go?"
"I don't know," said Tom. "You--we wouldn't let him in."
"What do you mean?"
"From the very beginning, Salazar was furious that Lucius gave the diary to a little girl. He wanted possession of an adult wizard with adult powers. He refused to even write to you when you wrote, which was fine with me. I wrote, and it was me you accepted. Me, you gave your consent to—not Salazar. You always knew who was writing. Salazar couldn't figure out how you knew."
"The writing was different," said Ginny.
"I know," said Tom. Ginny could almost feel him smile. "That was one of my secret spells, in the making of the diary. Brilliant, wasn't it?"
"So you don't know what happened to the Memory of Salazar Slytherin?"
"I can't be sure, but I believe he was destroyed. He was the one chained to the Diary, not me."
How could that be?" asked Ginny, examining Tom's memories and finally understanding that Tom had written the Diary not to preserve Salazar Slytherin's memory, but to bind him to the Diary. He wanted to force Salazar alone into the Diary and be free of him.
"I wanted him gone from me," fumed Tom with a hatred that Ginny could barely stand to witness.
Frightened, and shaking with emotions that had never been hers, Ginny understood that while she was struggling to keep control of her body that day in the Chamber, another monumental struggle was going on. The memories of Tom and Salazar were also in mortal conflict. Each wanted to leave the other behind in the diary, and possess the child, Virginia Weasley. It was suddenly clear. Salazar needed her to die. He needed her blood to complete the spell, but Tom did not. He had used another--method.
"Ginny, Love," Began Tom, as he realized which of his memories she was accessing—
"Don't you ever call me that," Ginny spat. "Never again. I am not your Love!"
"You made your choice, Ginny Love. Quite frankly, I think you chose well. Do you think Salazar would have been gentler with you?"
"Neither of you thought of ME! My feelings!"
"True."
"I thought," Ginny hesitated. Disbelief in her thoughts. "I thought it was—the evil dark wizard—but it wasn't."
Tom said nothing.
"It was you. You raped me."
"It was consensual."
"I was eleven!"
"Twelve, and you can hardly call it rape, Ginny Love, when I didn't even have a body."
"What would you call it?"
"Shared magic."
Ginny said nothing.
"Playing to win."
Her heart was beating fast—remembering—his memories and her own--
For a long while, they were both silent, discovering secrets neither had ever shared with another.
"Ginny Love, Haven't you learned from your little sessions at Quit that there is always a dominant witch or wizard? A winner and a loser. The only way to be safe is to refuse to play. You are the one that chose to play. You opened the diary, Ginny Love. I only wrote with what you gave me--your ink. You can't blame me for wanting to win. I had no choice—no other options. I may not be Salazar Slytherin, but I'm still a Slytherin. I wasn't going to lie down and lose, Ginny Love. And if I lost, I promised myself, he was going down with me, and if necessary, you too.."
"I was just a pawn, wasn't I? Someone to be used—"
"Ginny ,don't think of it like that. I gave you more of myself than I gave anyone—ever. It was clear from the first moment when you opened the diary one of us—Salazar or me-- would get the living, breathing body and one of us would get stuck in the diary. I wanted the living breathing body--your living, breathing body, so I wooed you, Ginny Love. And you said yes. I made sure of it. You said yes, to me over and over again. Every time I asked, in fact.
All the while, Salazar taunted me. He was the stronger wizard. I was only a boy, but I knew how Salazar would work--exactly how he possessed me—He didn't know how to be subtle--
Ginny cried out with the memory of sudden pain—Tom's memory--the excruciating pain of being ripped from your body by magic.
Brute force. How Tom had been possessed by Salazar in the beginning.
"You fainted?" Ginny whispered, understanding Tom's memory. "You fainted when they put the Sorting Hat on your head?"
"Actually it was just after the Hat announced, 'Slytherin!' Lovely way to start life in that house, don't you think? Of course, when I woke, Salazar was in possession—"
A flash of how Salazar/Tom dealt with those who teased him for fainting was quickly squelched.
"Salazar took possession, but he couldn't keep possession," Tom explained. "And I hated him. When he started spending all of his time with the eggs--when all of his waking moments were devoted to finding the potion ingredients, there were times when he would forget about me altogether. Oh yes, we occupied the same body, but as long as I was studying, he left me alone. So, I devoted myself to my studies. I had to learn something that would defeat him--light or dark--I didn't care. Even he knew that I had to go to class, because if I didn't, I'd be expelled. He couldn't afford for me to be expelled. We had to be careful, even on his little trips to Knockturn Alley.
Mostly, he let me study, and I started the diary. When he discovered what I was doing, I thought he would finally find a way to kill me. I wished he could have killed me. His intent was to make me suffer until I voluntarily gave my magic to him. I learned in that session that magic, voluntarily given; consensual was always stronger than what is taken. It was painful, but it was an acceptable price for such a gem of knowledge. He altered the diary so that it contained both of our memories--but I had not done the spell that tied me to the diary, because I had never planned to be linked to it.
I was only linked to the diary through Salazar and on that fateful day, with you and Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets, I gambled and won. Tom's thoughts filled with sarcasm. Salazar had his hands full, trying to maintain the temporary clone I had animated to direct the basilisk, which I had already so stupidly allowed to lose its eyes-- He was angry that I didn't immediately allow the basilisk to kill the boy. He was angry that I allowed the boy to get his hands on the Hat, which both he and I knew would have a gift from at least one of the Founders for this boy.
He was angry, but he was also powerless to punish me just then, because he had to kill a boy called Harry Potter, first, and at the same time, drain a girl of her life force so that he could have the power to possess her body and say the spell that would consign me forever to the diary. He was busy, but I wasn't. I was watching the boy who had defeated Salazar twice before in his short lifetime. I saw the spark in his eye, right before he did it."
"Did what?"
"Plunged the basilisk fang into the diary. In that split second, I cried out to you to save me, and you did. Once again, Ginny Love. You said, yes."
"I did, didn't I?" whispered Ginny remembering.
"Salazar, was surprised—unprepared--half in the clone directing the basilisk, half in the diary, waiting for you to die, he had to travel back through the diary, through the magic draining basilisk venom to come to you, and when he did, we shut him out.—you and I together, Ginny Love. Even in his weakened state, I doubt that either of us could have done it alone. Pervigilo Armaro!"
"That spell—" said Ginny.
"Yes, that spell, you could have done it in your sleep, with only the two words. In fact, Ginny Love, that was exactly my intention: to teach it to you so thoroughly, that you could do it in your sleep, because, in fact, that was exactly what you had to do—a twelve point ward—in your sleep."
"Twelve point?"
"Nothing less would keep him out. And the memory of Salazar was destroyed."
"Are you sure, Tom?"
"Even if Salazar had the power to go elsewhere, there was no where to go. There was a destroyed diary, a dying Basilisk, a boy who defeated the basilisk already and would not allow himself to be possessed. Even if he was weakened sufficiently so that Salazar could have possessed him, the sword would have protected him; for it was not only Godric Gryffindor's sword. It was also his wand. And finally, there was a girl, Ginny Love. She was the most vulnerable, but she had already chosen me, and warded him out."
"If Salazar had completed his spell," asked Ginny. "What would have happened to me?
Mentally Tom shrugged. "Return to the Elemental Source--remain in the diary--it made no difference."
"To you or to Salazar?"
"To either of us at that point."
"That's not fair!" shouted Ginny. "It's MY body."
The sudden feeling of laughter that rose from deep inside of her threatened to over-whelm her, but it wasn't a pleasant laughter. It was filled with hatred.
"You dare talk to me about FAIR! You who have a family and a home. You had twelve years of LIFE! When I had nothing. I grew up with—Muggles. He spat the word like a curse. --Not even my own kind."
Once again, Ginny was assaulted by memories. The children in the orphanage calling him Devil child and Demon spawn. She saw faces and expressions—and knew they were real children. And then, those same children, hurt. Victoria falling down the stairs, Matthew spilling boiling water all over himself, Alfred with his hair on fire—
Ginny was horrified. "You set him on fire, Tom?"
"Alfred was a liar. He deserved to burn."
The list went on and on. No one who hurt Tom went unpunished. Within Tom was an unquenchable desire to even the score between them—to make them pay dearly for every hurt they inflicted. "Give them back tenfold," said Tom. "Make them pay-Become so powerful they won't be able to hurt me."
"No," whispered Ginny. "They were children."
"They were animals!"
Ginny was silent unable to understand the hatred she was feeling through him. Abruptly, the memories changed.
"And when I finally thought that I would fit in—the year I came to the Great Hogwarts, the most wonderful wizarding school in the world, that asinine Dumbledore put that Hat on my head and took what little bit of freedom I had.
You forget, Ginny. I am the MEMORY of Tom Riddle, but who I am—who I REALLY am—still lives imprisoned in that madman's head. He stole everything from me."
The bitterness in his thoughts was palpable.
"I know, I didn't have much to start out with. My mother was dead. My father didn't want me—the bastard—and I didn't want him either. I lived in an orphanage. I had to fight for every spark of happiness in my life and there was damned little of it. My life sucked, but it was still mine! MY LIFE! Up until I was eleven, it was mine. MY choices. Even at the orphanage, I made my choices. They stopped bothering me after they realized that bad things happened to people who hurt me. They were afraid of me—even the adults—were afraid. That's why they sent me to Hogwarts—they were afraid—Ginny remembered them saying: 'If they accept him at this Hogwart's boarding school, I think we should send him and good riddance.'
After I put that accursed Hat on my head, I lost everything: my childhood, my school time, my friends, my reputation, my social life, my body, my looks, my brains, my wand, even my rat—"
Stop! Ginny shouted, trying to cover her ears, but to no avail.
Tom seemed to take a breath and settle himself. "I think you need to sleep on this, Ginny Love. Perhaps I've again given you too much to cope with—"
Ginny lay in silence for a while. "Tom," she said at last. "There was something else in the Chamber that Salazar may have been able to possess. There was a phoenix."
Tom began to laugh. This time, the laughter was genuine. "I think he would have rather died," said Tom. "That phoenix was the bane of his existence."
"Why's that?"
"That was the phoenix that gave the feather for my wand," said Tom. "It always sided with me against Salazar.
"But how could a wand do that?" asked Ginny.
"They say the wand chooses the wizard," said Tom. "My wand never chose Salazar."
"I don't understand," said Ginny.
"Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow."
"You won't go away again tomorrow, will you?"
"No, I don't think so. I believe your little bit of Elemental magic completely smashed down the St. Mongo's memory charms."
Ginny sighed. "I feel like I've been hit with a confundus charm. OH, no, Charms! I was going to look over the notes again for our test tomorrow."
"Don't worry about it, Ginny Love. Go to sleep."
"Sleep?" It seemed strange having Tom tell her to go to sleep. When she had the diary, that was his primary way of keeping her captive. As long as she didn't sleep, she was too tired and confused to fight him.
"Yes, sleep," repeated Tom.
As Tom listened to her deep, even breathing, he began to plan. He smiled as he heard her mutter his name and sigh, hugging her pillow.
"Promise," Ginny muttered against her pillow, snuggling deeper into the covers. "You were--innocent."
"Hardly," said Tom.
==
NOTES TO MY FAITHFUL REVIEWERS:
First of all, thank you very much for sticking with me. Love you guys. THANKS. Lady Lestrange
Kemenran
'More please' is on its way. Love that you are so polite. Yes, there will be more Harry shortly, but the next couple of chapters are more Ginny.
Silverfox1
Yes, well, ADADA or AVADA. You will find out about Draco's sister shortly—in two chapters. Right after Ginny's next ADADA class.
Reiven
Five more chapters and all will be solved? Well, maybe not—Have to get you to read the sequel, you know. But I promise you will soon know exactly who the prophecy child is and why. I know you loved Edward and I do too, but really, with a name like LESTRANGE, did you really think he'd be a sweet, good guy?
Eizoku
OK, I think now, you should realize that Tom didn't actually "leave" her, he just couldn't communicate with the St Mongo's Memory charms up. Ginny still believes that Severus is a 'good guy' but yes, she is suspicious. I think she pieces together that he is a spy shortly, but she isn't sure which side he is on. Next chapter, ADADA, so more Severus.
Raven173
Major issues? Well, I guess that's what I think IS a book. Conflict, ie. "issues". There's Ginny/Tom. I agree, that's a major issue. I don't know about power-obsessed Samara—gosh—one review says Samara is power obsessed and the next says she should dump Draco and stick up for herself. Did you guys read the same chapter? Beatrice is coming soon, and she has a major part in the sequel. The sequel is started, and Draco's sister is chapter after the next one, so stay tuned. Two chapters till you find out what happened to Draco's sister.
ennui2
Thanks. Glad you liked. Yes, well, I still have readers who think Draco is going to turn into a Hufflepuff and declare his undying love. You are right about Samara, by the way. Well, Tom's talking in Ginny's head is not going to convince her that she's sane, is it? Crucio on Lucius is coming up next chapter, so I guess it will be clear in--10 reviews from now. Edward has his own agenda. He doesn't want Snape involved in it. You're right about Edward too. Please don't call him Eddie. I tried that. He didn't like it.
Tamora Pierce Finished at 4:42 Is that AM? COOL!
Trillium: Multi-faceted. Great. You're right about both Winky and Samara.
Slytherin's Silver Snake
Yes, You may wish you didn't wish for the darker parts. HEHEHEHE. Millicent was waking up from her stunning charm. A lit up Dark Mark tends to be a good alarm clock.
hayes1966 : WELCOME TO MY STORY. Don't think JKR could have done better! Ohmygosh. Skips around the room in excitement. Plots within plots is what stories are supposed to be. Glad I got it right. I love it when I make my readers happy. OK. Gotta go release this magic. I'm over flowing—hair's wet and blowing—You know how it is. More details on Tom, coming up. Glad you liked Neville's parents. I liked them too.
You know what you have to do. Click that review button. 10 REVIEWS TO THE NEXT CHAPTER—unless you aren't quite ready for that little ADADA field trip?????
Warning: PG 13 . Not for the faint of heart. 10 REVIEWS IF YOU DARE. Heheheheheh—Cough—Choke—Sparks--
Lady Lestrange